Results 1-20 of 11,995 for speaker:Niall Collins

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Revenue Commissioners (22 Oct 2025)

Niall Collins: I thank the Deputy. I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that, following the MV Matthew seizure and forfeiture, immediate steps were taken to prepare for its disposal. In November 2023, initial consultations commenced with a shipping broker with a view to marketing the vessel for sale. In December 2023, the Revenue Commissioners were advised by the Office of the Director of Public...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Revenue Commissioners (22 Oct 2025)

Niall Collins: I cannot give the Deputy any sense of the timeline. There is no better organisation within the public service than the Revenue Commissioners in terms of efficiency and the expediency of the work done. I believe the Deputy would agree with that. It its fairly clearly implied in much of the information the Revenue Commissioners have supplied to me that there are circumstances outside our...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (22 Oct 2025)

Niall Collins: The Government is committed to the provision of additional special places for children with special educational needs. As the Deputies know, the school referred to by them has three special classes, two dedicated for children with autism and one for children with a developmental language disorder or speech sound disorder. The school is to be commended on its proactiveness and willingness...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (22 Oct 2025)

Niall Collins: I thank the Deputies for raising this question and giving me an opportunity to reassure the House that the Department of Education and Youth and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that all children can access an education suitable to their needs. The Department of Education and Youth is committed to engaging intensely with the NCSE in relation to forward planning for new special provision to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: National Parks and Wildlife Service (22 Oct 2025)

Niall Collins: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne, and the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan. The NPWS is committed to strengthening its engagement with all stakeholders and, accordingly, has established a number of fora through which the Minister of State and his...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: National Parks and Wildlife Service (22 Oct 2025)

Niall Collins: Since taking office, the Minister of State, Deputy O’Sullivan, has been acutely conscious of the extensive engagement that has taken place with the NARGC, particularly in the context of the wild birds forum. At the same time, he must acknowledge that the NPWS operates within finite resources and that its executive and ecological capacity is already under significant pressure. The...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Coroners Service (22 Oct 2025)

Niall Collins: I assure Deputy O'Reilly that our Department is committed to driving the modernisation of the Coroner Service in Ireland, including Dublin, where she outlined the issues many families are experiencing, including her own. The Department has received approval from the Government to draft the general scheme of a Bill to significantly reform the Coroner Service in order to increase efficiencies...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Coroners Service (22 Oct 2025)

Niall Collins: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I had not realised that her mam had passed. She has my condolences and sincere sympathies in that regard. I thank her for sharing her personal experience in the aftermath of the event that is informing our discussion this morning. I am responding on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Jim O’Callaghan. I hope to be able to provide some...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Child Protection (22 Oct 2025)

Niall Collins: First, the Minister and I want to take this opportunity to again express our sincere condolences to the family of Vadym Davydenko and everyone associated with his tragic death last Wednesday, 15 October. The Minister acknowledges the interest of the Members of this House in issues surrounding unaccompanied minors from Ukraine. In particular, the Minister thanks Senator Keogan for raising...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Child Protection (22 Oct 2025)

Niall Collins: I thank the Senator again for bringing forward the important issue. I thank her for her comments in relation to it. I reiterate that Ireland has responded to the Ukrainian crisis by welcoming more than 110,000 Ukrainians who were forced to leave their homeland in the most difficult of circumstances and have sought sanctuary in Ireland. A significant proportion of them are unaccompanied...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Housing Provision (22 Oct 2025)

Niall Collins: I thank Senator McCarthy for raising this Commencement matter on the plans of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to address the homelessness and housing crisis. The Minister and this Government are absolutely determined to meet the needs of people who need us to respond at pace to the housing challenges we face.The programme for Government commits to delivering 300,000...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Housing Provision (22 Oct 2025)

Niall Collins: I thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity to respond on behalf of the Minister for housing. I want to reassert the strong commitment of the Minister and this Government to addressing the housing challenges we face, which are touching every level of our society, as the Senator has outlined. While there is still much more to do, considerable progress has been made to date under...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Trade Agreements (22 Oct 2025)

Niall Collins: I share Senator Ahearn’s concern and disappointment on the imposition of US tariffs.As I have said many times, tariffs are not good for anybody. They hurt business and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic. However, US trade policy has shifted and both Ireland and the EU have to respond to this new reality. The life sciences sector, which both the pharmaceutical industry and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Trade Agreements (22 Oct 2025)

Niall Collins: I assure the Senator that pharma and medtech are hugely important sectors for the Irish economy, as is he well aware, and for Europe. The interconnected supply chains across countries and across the Atlantic are not just a necessity but ultimately make us more resilient and stronger in the manufacture and delivery of treatments that improve health and save lives. The health of these sectors...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Legislative Process (22 Oct 2025)

Niall Collins: First, the Government's position and, indeed, that of the European Union is clear. Settlements are illegal under international law and undermine the realisation of the two-state solution. This is the long-standing position of Ireland, the European Union and many other international partners. In June 2025, the Government approved the general scheme of the Israeli settlements in the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Legislative Process (22 Oct 2025)

Niall Collins: I do not agree with the Senator that the issue is being kicked down the road. It is a very significant priority for Government. It is a priority for me, as a member of Government, and for my party. I have been to the West Bank and settlements. I have seen the proliferation of Israeli settlements across the West Bank and in East Jerusalem. It is beyond comprehension. I have been a...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Tobacco Control Measures (22 Oct 2025)

Niall Collins: The Minister for Health has asked me to thank Senator Ryan for raising this matter. I am sure the Senator and the House are aware the measure she has raised is currently the subject of judicial review proceedings and on that basis it is incumbent on all of us to respect the work the court has to do and be circumspect in our discussion about it. Any call for the Minister to make any further...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Tobacco Control Measures (22 Oct 2025)

Niall Collins: I absolutely understand the points Senator Ryan is making in relation to small retail and grocery shops, which are the lifeblood of many local communities, as we know. They are under pressure, as the Senator has outlined, on many fronts in terms of their viability and sustainability within our communities. Like our post office networks, it is important that people shop local and support...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health Screening Programmes (22 Oct 2025)

Niall Collins: I thank the Senator for the opportunity to update the House on this important matter. The Government is determined to support Ireland’s screening programmes, which are a valuable part of the health service, enabling early treatment and care for many people and improving the overall health of our population. In terms of newborn bloodspot screening specifically, the Government is...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health Screening Programmes (22 Oct 2025)

Niall Collins: We have always evaluated the case for commencing or expanding our national screening programmes against internationally accepted criteria, collectively known as the Wilson and Jungner criteria. The evidence bar for screening programmes should and must remain high. This ensures that we can be confident that programmes are effective, quality assured and operating to safe standards. While...